Christmas Presence
by StarbuckJayne
Summary: Christmas isn't easy when you're on the run.


Christmas Presence By Starbuck_Jayne Starbuck_Jayne@hotmail.com  
  
Rating: G  
  
Spoilers: None that I can think of...well, The Truth I suppose.  
  
Keywords: MSR  
  
Disclaimer: None of the characters in this story belong to me I am just borrowing them for a while. They belong to Chris Carter, 1013 and Fox.  
  
Archive: Anywhere at all just please keep my name and e-mail attached, but no flames please I'm way too delicate!  
  
Feedback: On my knees and begging for it.  
  
Author's Notes: I don't pretend for a second that this is a highly original story! It's a piece of Christmas fluff written to try and get me in the spirit of the season ;-) I hope you like it, and please let me know what you think!  
  
Christmas Presence  
  
Starbuck_Jayne  
  
She'd taken to frequenting the little cafe on the corner. No particular reason except for the fact it vaguely resembled one back in DC. She could only have been there two or three times, but it was nice - near the Hoover Building but out of the way enough to be more or less agent free. There was a brief pang of longing for her old life, a time when she had a good job, a nice house and, most importantly, wasn't on the run. She still had Mulder, of course, and she smiled as she caught sight of the diamond on her ring finger. Obviously they couldn't get married yet, the names Fox Mulder and Dana Scully on a marriage licence would have their pursuers upon them like lightening. It was more of a "promise ring", a promise that they would get married eventually, when all this was behind them.  
  
Scully checked her watch and, seeing that it was just past three, drained her coffee cup. She dropped a few coins onto the table by way of tip and left. Outside, the December chill hung in the air, but there was no denying that the scene before her was beautiful. The sounds of elated children filtered down from the school at the top of the street - the end of the last day of classes before the holidays. It was still daylight, but the watery sun was beginning to set, twisting ribbons of pink and purple light into the sky that looked stunning against the backdrop of naked trees. Scully doubted that the temperature had been above freezing all day, and as a result there was a faint sparkle to the sidewalks. Christmas was definitely in the air.  
  
They'd been here for about three months now, a quiet suburban town just north of Boston; but of course couldn't settle anywhere long enough to feel at home, let alone make preparations for Christmas. Besides, they didn't have the money! Still, despite the fact they'd promised not to exchange gifts (why they still insisted on saying that every year when they never stuck to it remains anybody's guess), Scully couldn't help herself. She'd seen the poster in a second-hand bookshop. Sure, it was a little faded and one corner had been ripped, but there it was: the "I Want to Believe" poster. Mulder was currently earning a bit of money through writing for magazines (conspiracy theories and the like), and Scully thought that perhaps the print would inspire him.  
  
By the time she got home she was frozen, looking forward only to a glass of something seasonal and a warm fire. Of course having spent the past year living with Mulder she should have known that this was not meant to be! To her amazement he met her at the door, brandishing a sprig of mistletoe and with what appeared to be a piece of holly stuck to his jumper.  
  
"Mulder, wha..." she opened her mouth to speak but was silenced. He placed a quick kiss upon her lips, and she plucked the holly from his clothing.  
  
"If you'd like to come this way please, Ms Scully, all will be revealed."  
  
He took her hand and led her into the living room. Scully was speechless. In the one and a half hours that she had been out of the house her former partner had somehow transformed the, frankly somewhat shabby, lounge into a festive haven. A fire blazed in the grate, with the only other light coming from candles, flickering along the mantelpiece and in the hearth. Sprigs of holly adorned corners of pictures and mirrors, with ivy strung along the windowsill and twisted around the curtain pole. A beautiful pine tree, complete with twinkling lights and UFO ornaments was positioned in the corner, its scent wafting towards Scully as she took in the scene before her.  
  
"Mulder!" She laughed, feeling his arm slide around her shoulders.  
  
"Merry Christmas, Scully," he beamed.  
  
"Fox, is it ok for me to come out now?" came a familiar voice from the kitchen. "I've got eggnog."  
  
"Mom?" Scully didn't know where to turn first, and found herself looking to Mulder as if to seek confirmation that this was real.  
  
"It's ok, Scully, we'll be off again soon anyway," he said as if reading her mind. They both knew the threat that contact with a relative would pose, "I hear Alaska's lovely this time of year."  
  
"Merry Christmas, Dana," Mrs Scully appeared, carrying eggnog and barely containing her delight at seeing her daughter again.  
  
"Oh, mom!" Scully threw herself into her mother's arms.  
  
"Watch the drinks!" her mother laughed as Mulder took the glasses from her. Christmas had never been a big thing for Mulder; after all, who did he have to celebrate it with? But now, as he surveyed the scene before him, he realised what he'd been missing out on.  
  
"Right! Who wants to open presents?" Mrs Scully gave Dana a final squeeze before the family made their way to the sofa.  
  
XXXXXXX  
  
It was after midnight and Margaret Scully had retired to bed, leaving her daughter and Mulder alone in the living room. The fire was dying, but the warm glow was still evident. Scully was sitting with her feet tucked under her, glass of eggnog in one hand and her head leaning ever so slightly towards Mulder's shoulder.  
  
"I still can't believe you, Mulder!" She shook her head with a smile, "that you did all this!"  
  
"Was the least I could do having dragged you across the country for the past few months. Lost you your job, your home, endangered your life..."  
  
Scully slapped his arm playfully.  
  
"Thank you, Mulder," she said, turning to face him. The moonlight caressed her dainty features, and Mulder truly believed that she had never looked more beautiful. Not that he said anything, of course. A smile would suffice for now.  
  
"You're welcome, Scully," he breathed. She took his hand and squeezed it tightly.  
  
"You know, Mulder, I do believe I can see some mistletoe."  
  
"That's ivy, Scully. For a scientist you're not as smart as you look."  
  
"Well, let's see if it has the same effect shall we? We can put it down to scientific research."  
  
"Did you know, Scully, that in some parts of the world mistletoe is seen as a symbol of bad luck? In fact, there's this one X-File where..."  
  
But his story was lost in her kiss.  
  
XXXXXXX  
  
The End  
  
www.geocities.com/starbuck_jayne 


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